The Game
by 9shadowcat9
Summary: The Inquisitor is an orlesian noble who knows The Game. She knows the proper way to talk and smile, dodging controversy with ease. Shame the smile never reaches her eyes and her family don't like to acknowledge her. Warnings; mentions of suicide near the end. Oneshot


The inquisitor was a noble of Orlesian descent. A young brown haired woman named Evelyn who used a sword and shield, often seen in armour or dressed in the height of fashion for an unmarried daughter. She spoke of her family like a dutiful daughter, never a word against them. She played The Game well, nodding at the right moments, feigning shock and frowns when necessary. She was Josephine's dream Inquisitor, dodging controversy easily and stopping all rumours before they even started. She didn't take a lover on the sly, merely stating family duty when this was questioned. 'My family would want me to marry a noble of their choosing' She said with a blank smile that never reached her eyes. She aided anyone in need, never stopping to think before gathering herbs or defending the week. It can only aid us in the long run, she reasoned in private.

She was also vocally against mages. She conscripted them arguing 'the giant hole in the sky is clearly magic' when Cullen protested but she kept her distance. She argued for the return of the circle passionately, agreeing with nobles who were uncertain of the mages roaming free. She sat with Vivienne discussing why the Circle was necessary. She spoke with Dorian about the Magisterium and how they abused their power. Fiona had only spoken with her once, she left the conversation seething in rage.

Yes, the noble was seen as perfect. Never a hair out of place. Never drinking alcohol. Gossiping at the right moment with the right person. Never speaking against her family. And most importantly, she was the perfect guest in the Orlesian ball. Perfectly cryptic, dancing with the correct person and engaging in idle conversation with so many double meanings that she never agreed or disagreed with anyone.

Her companions were torn on what to think of her. Cole was allowed to stay and immediately began making comments. _'The smile has to be perfect. The appearance. Do they know?'_ The young noble avoided the spirit after he said that, no longer taking him on missions. (Cole immediately took this as her needing his help leading to the one moment were her control slipping and she snapped at him. He continued to follow her in an attempt to talk to her.)

Vivienne enjoyed talking to her, the double talk welcome over tea. It was like being home again, the battle of words where one opponent tried to one up her enemy. Vivienne often won, being much more knowledgeable of the game.

Blackwall ignored her. Politicians, he huffed to himself.

Evelyn was everything Sera loathed as a noble, with the exception that she 'tried to help the little people'. Evelyn was creepy, almost automated when talking to people. She was a liar like all the nobles, a picture-perfect daughter who would marry for power and have a child who would be ignored except when they needed to be shown off like a pet. The noble didn't even argue when Sera said that.

Iron Bull was used to dealing with politicians so he shouldn't really care when he dealt with Evelyn. She never sought him out, it would hurt her standing to be seen with him. But she made a point of always being respectful. She never called him an ox man or an elf a knife ear. And despite her apparent fear of mages, she never said anything against them when she wasn't talking to a noble. To the spy it was obvious she was playing a part like any other noble daughter and in a way, he pitied her for it. It was obvious she was hiding anything that went against her perfect image with the nobles.

She'd defended Dorian. The Tevinter mage wasn't aware of it until Mother Giselle was forced into apologising for 'shameful behaviour unbecoming of a Chantry sister'. Evelyn had handled the rumours against him from the moment he'd arrived, spreading her own rumours of his prowess in battle. How he'd saved her life numerous times (an over exaggeration he wasn't about to correct) and was a shining beacon of a mage in control of himself. How the circle mage rebellions should learn from him because maybe then they would learn how pointless the rebellion was. Dorian didn't like being used as a tool against the mages. He was rather vocal about _that_. But Evelyn had continued spreading it until the mage rebellions wouldn't speak to her _or_ him. People no longer spoke against him, but he wasn't welcome in the library anymore. And that was the source of his annoyance with her. Not hatred, if only because even he could admire how she'd handled his father. The man had actually sent a letter of apology after her politely worded rant about his 'unbecoming actions which only served to damage everyone's reputations'.

Cassandra was indifferent. A noble who accepted the title of Andraste with the understanding that it made her a beacon of hope. She was polite, an avid supporter of the chanty and fought valiantly. Evelyn gave her no reason to dislike her. Or any reason to like her. She avoided the Seeker just enough to show her discomfort around her but not enough to make it obvious to any onlookers. She spoke the truth in such a way that nothing could be taken at face value (except about mages and magic. She was _very_ blunt about that. It was almost unbecoming.)

In a small way Varric liked her. When she was honest she was a loyal companion who liked his books, and offered to help him find a new publisher when he learned his current one was robbing him blind. In another he mostly hated her. She was a story teller who lied about her past. (He could see her lying through her teeth every time she spoke of her family. Her smile as she spoke of family outings was never real. It was distant and practiced.) He still remembered the time he'd walked in on her practicing her smiles in a mirror after she was found. She showed no outwards opinion on the mark on her hand, always smiling unless it was socially appropriate to frown. She lied, lied, _**lied**_ _._ It made his skin crawl when he spoke to her and she started telling another 'family story' at the request of some noble. The stories of her father training her to join the Templars was the worst. The words were laced with honey and were so false that everyone else lapped them up.

She was respectful to Solas. She acknowledged he was a genius and spoke to him in private. She asked about spirits and the fade in an almost wide eyed curiosity. She asked about the history he saw in his dreams and never lied to him. Solas liked her just for that. She would dodge the questions and her respected her enough to not insist on an answer. And she never asked about his past. Where he was from or where he learned magic. At one point, she quietly admitted it was nice to not worry about the game. Solas was as private as she was, so she knew he wouldn't spread rumours and half lies about her.

So, all in all the entire group lived in uneasy acceptance of each other. They might not like Evelyn but she was needed to close the Breach. Evelyn was savvy enough to know who didn't like her and politely avoided them, only taking them out on missions when absolutely necessary. She was a perfect noble, even wearing a mask to meals with important dignitaries which was even more creepy then normal.

And as Josephine admitted, that was what made her family distancing itself from her even stranger. Any family in Orlais would jump on the political power Evelyn was practically throwing at them. Or use the situation to set her up with an equally powerful noble fiancé. Instead they were quiet. They acknowledged her relation to them out of necessity but were never seen in the same area as her. And it was a known fact Evelyn had sent an invite to Skyhold to them as any dutiful daughter.

If there was a reason though, even Leliana couldn't find it. The gossip never mentioned a falling out with the family or any stain in her past that would make her politically damaging. Merely that she had gone to live with her maternal Aunt for a time when she was ill. As the youngest daughter that was acceptable since her family had to work and her brothers were either learning the family trade or were in Templar training themselves. She had returned when the civil war between the mages and Templars had started, beginning her own political life by attending parties in a search for a suiter as was expected. She had been at the meeting in the Sacred Ashes with a brother who had requested she come (Evelyn had never revealed why he had asked her along, becoming teary eyed when asked. Even that reaction was hotly debated in its honesty). So, there was no known reason for her being at the temple of Sacred Ashes and no known reason why her family distanced themselves from her despite damaging their own standing by doing so.

That had been hidden from the nobles quickly, both by Fiona and Evelyn with quick thinking and half lies which could be neither proven or disproven. In the end, it didn't matter. Evelyn was inquisitor for better or worse.

At least that's what they'd thought until a fateful mission Emprise du lion.

It had been a supposedly simple mission. Find and kill Red Templars. Remove them from the quarry. Help people in town affected by the war. Evelyn had jumped on helping the towns folk, ordering in blankets and food before even leaving the town to deal with the quarry. She had brought Dorian, Iron Bull and Varric with her out of necessity (Varric was easier to deal with then Cole and Sera and Vivienne was still the Personal Advisor of Empress Celene so was busy. Solas was trying to find a friend so didn't come to her hidden annoyance.)

Iron Bull and Dorian spent more time snapping at each other than her so she left them to it, Varric had spoken safe topics with her as they walked (His upcoming book and a prank Sera had pulled). Evelyn happily joined in with that conversation, asking about upcoming stories and giving advice when writing noble families without really thinking. For a while they'd all even bonded over their hatred of the cold and how much they missed warm beds.

Then the red Templars had appeared. Hideous creatures with red lyrium growing out of their bodies. Minds so gone Evelyn wondered if they could even still speak. The group fought valiantly until Iron Bull was hit so hard he was thrown aside, until Dorians staff was knocked from his hands and until Varric was attacked. Evelyn lost her sword quickly, and resorted to using her shield as she was pushed back, hit after hit denting it until even that was lost and all she had left to defend herself was her silverite armour. The hit knocked her back into Dorian who was trying to cast without his staff sending them both to the ground.

Dorian was dazed by his head hitting her armour making him unable to cast. Varric was trying to rouse Iron Bull desperately as the Templars continued attacking. Evelyn swallowed copper and looked around desperately for a sword, hands warm in the snow as they grabbed desperately. Until they closed around something made of metal and she stood, weapon at the ready. The staff in her hand was made of obsidian, clashing horribly with her armour. The top glowed red with power and desperately she waved it down, summoning fire.

It was enough of a distraction until Iron Bull was able to drink an elfroot potion and attack with a yell, hammer crushing a Templars head. The distraction worked until Varric was able to start attacking from a distance with Bianca and Dorian was able to get away from the fight, aware the hit to his head made him unsafe to cast.

It was enough until they won and the enemy were finally dead and Evelyn had her sword and destroyed shield back in her hands and Varric had smiled at her and went "So, a mage?" And then everything wasn't enough and she should have just let them die and why why _**why**_?!

And then the words wouldn't stop falling out of her mouth and the begging and before she even realised the begging was no longer for them to not tell she was a mage but to not return her to the circle with the Templars because she'd do anything and pay anything and they _couldn't_. And when they didn't respond to her begging (Out of shock not disagreement) she turned and ran, leaving her shield where it fell as she turned. Because she'd sworn to die before she returned to the Circle and she'd meant it. (Anything she'd promised back then and they'd taken the offer. She was dangerous they'd laughed. Better off _tranquil_.)

So, when she was asked whether to find the Templars or the Mages? Well, the breach is clearly magic. Save the mages. Just keep an eye on them, because they could be dangerous (No, they were in danger. Watch them because then they won't be threatened). Even Evelyn was watching them, better to be safe than sorry she'd defended with a smile. And if she warned off the commoners who asked her to use tranquillity to control them? Well, it was hardly fitting to make her conscripts tranquil.

So, she ran, ignoring the surprised yells behind her. She should never have brought Dorian. He knew how to dodge assassination. So did Varric. And unlike what she said Cassandra did like the rogue enough that if he was assassinated she'd hunt the source of the order.

Evelyn stumbled with a hiss, her leg burning. Before she'd been running on desperation but now? She was no longer running on adrenaline and her leg hurt. Maybe she'd twisted an ankle running or when she'd been thrown. She kept going, her run now a desperate, tired stumble. Her family wouldn't protect her. It was embarrassing enough that they'd lied when she'd been taken to the circle. She was an embarrassment that when the meeting had been called she'd begged to go with Maxwell (Maker, Maxwell. She was so sorry. He should never have been there….). She was supposed to stay with the mages. She'd found a spouse while with her Aunt her family would say or she'd eloped with some Tevinter boy if they were feeling cruel.

It was never going to happen now. The group had no reason to keep quiet. She wasn't in a position to pay them off. They were to well-liked by the spymaster to pay for an assassination. No family to threaten. No blackmail. And she wasn't well liked. Evelyn knew they wouldn't keep quiet for the sake of a non-existent friendship. It was over.

She stumbled again and fell, cold seeping through her armour as she gasped, curling into a ball as she struggled to breathe. She was over. She had no position in The Game as soon as the news got out. No powerful fiancé to protect her. Her family would sooner assassinate her then let her continue to exist if this got out. The mages wouldn't accept her either, she'd made to much effort to distance herself from them.

Maybe they'd keep her around to deal with the breach before giving her to the circle…? It wasn't a comforting thought. She was a prisoner of the Inquisition already, a monkey dressed up and paraded around until they got what they wanted. Oh, she was a leader alright. Until she did something they didn't like and stripped her of her title. She knew the Game and their expectations of her. Better to play along with a looser leash.

It was with that thought she pushed herself up and leant against a tree. Maybe if she went back and played apologetic she would be left alone long enough. She'd play the apologetic disgraced daughter, who had worked to avoid disgracing her name further and nod saying she understood the need to return to the circle. Apologetic and graceful, embarrassed by her recent display until she returned alone to her quarters. Maybe she'd wait until Corypheus was defeated though. Disappear during the celebrations out the window. It would be a lovely final view, the sunset over the mountains.

She partly leaned, waiting for the running to catch up to her. She wouldn't even have to pay for the assassination if she did that, those things were so damn expensive. She turned to see Iron Bull and smiled hollowly, hand holding the tree to hold her steady. "Apologies." She said with the grace of a noble. "I shouldn't have run." And if he spotted the lie he didn't show it, helping her back to the camp as she spoke about how embarrassed her family would be of her now. It was disgraceful of her to run after all.

And as she was directed back to the camp where a worried looking Dorian and Varric were waiting, her smile merely tightened. After all, The Game never really ended. It was all just a big song and dance until it killed you.


End file.
